


I Think It's What You Want

by laurel_wesley (Wes)



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-04-18 02:44:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4689485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wes/pseuds/laurel_wesley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Tags/Characters/Warnings/Title subject to change and additions.<br/>Add. tags: This is not a GhiraLink fic, I swear this is not a GhiraLink fic, Link is a precious baby and Ghirahim is an asshole, fluffy bonding, a lot of it, Fi does not believe in Link, many things to come<br/>This will be updated at a very very slow pace, please be warned QQ) </p><p>Link is preparing to draw the Goddess Sword and face the coming danger, but a small portion of Demise is released prematurely and possesses Fi's body. Abandoning Ghirahim, Demise flees to the land below the clouds, forcing an almost unimaginable force to rise- Link and Ghirahim.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. From Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Eeee! I'm just 
> 
> So excited right now 
> 
> I love the Legend of Zelda and two friends and I went to see the Symphony of the Goddesses last night and I-!!!! I think I was literally crying tears at one point, my heart was pounding so hard!!! It was so amazing. 
> 
> Anyway, I've been sitting on this story for... Almost a year and a half now, I think- man, I started it on my birthday last year XD (thank you AwesomeNote for keeping track of creation dates for me!) I came to this idea after seeing a picture of Link holding both the Master Sword and Ghirahim's blade, with Fi and said Lord of Darkness floating behind him. It's a really beautiful image, the coloring, the faces, the clothing folds... So quality! 
> 
> Anyway, I took a lot of liberties with this one, since I started it before I started my second playthrough for the sake of this fic lol But in the beginning Link and Zelda escape from the black tornado after the Wing Ceremony, and immediately go to Zelda's father. He brings them to the temple on suspicion and his vision. There are a few things that I either changed about Link (things he learned, how he interacts, ect) or completely neglected/over exaggerated, and some are completely story building while others are not. Anyway, I hope you still find this fic enjoyable/readable and not too butchered. (I'm sorry I love Link and Zelda I really promise. I don't think I'll hurt her too badly but...) 
> 
> Without further ado, here we go, I hope you enjoy this~

His hand gripped the hilt of the sword, and a quivering breath escaped his lips. Pure energy ran up his arm, leaving a tingling sensation in his shoulder. He closed his eyes tightly, then reopened them, a determined look on his face. Grippping the hilt with both hands now, he pulled, a grunt rising in his throat. The sword slid easily out of it's pedestal...

"Link, wait!!"

Link paused and glanced back at Zelda, who wore a fearful expression on her face. "Something's wrong- don't draw the sword!"

The boy paused, releasing his grip on it, and stepped away. He turned fully to look at his friend, who stood near the entrance of the cavern. Something was indeed wrong; the shadows behind her were moving and morphing, red clouds spreading through them like an infection. Link gasped, "Zelda, behind you-!"

He started to rush towards her, but halted abruptly. Nothing in his body would move, everything felt stiff and wooden. A cold bite spread through his body from the tips of his fingers into his very core, and Link flinched when smooth lips pressed to his ear. "Don't move now, little one. You're not allowed to be obnoxious."

"Who are-?!"

"Silence, boy. Let my master run the show." The lips whispered. Link was aware of a body behind him now, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see pale gray skin and white hair. "What are you going to do to Zelda-!!"

The person gripped Link's arms to the point of bruising and spun him around, shoving him to the floor. He stepped on Link's chest, using his full weight to restrain the boy. Link grunted, clawing at the person's leg. All of him was clearly visible now, grey diamonds cut from white legs, a red cape draping from his shoulders. His face was twisted with a snarl of rage, and he ground out, "What did I say about talking-!"

"Ghirahim." A booming voice echoed. "That's enough."

Ghirahim glanced up at the shadows across the walls, forming a giant face. He bowed to it and withdrew his weight ever so slightly. "Forgive me, Master. The little fly was becoming too much of a pest."

"Where's Zelda? What happened to her?" Link yelled, also staring at the shadows. The face frowned deeply. "It doesn't matter to you, she's mine now."

"Whatever you did to her, let her go!!" Link shrieked. He was on the edge of tears, so helpless and powerless. "Let her go--! Urk-!"

Ghirahim's harsh kick to his stomach sent him sliding across the room, and made him cough blood. The face on the wall laughed, nodding at Ghirahim. "Very good. Now, the Master Sword is mine!"

The shadows jumped from the wall, a surge of pure darkness and despair, so thick that Link felt it pressing down on him, crushing his lungs and insides. Everything felt limp and dead, he couldn't find the will to move.

A new shriek echoed in the cavern- Link did his best to look up, to see if it was Zelda. It didn't sound like her, but he needed to be sure- Instead, there was a fairy floating behind the sword, about human-sized, with blank blue eyes and a multicolored cloak. The shadows surged into the fairy, changing her appearance- her cloak became sharp and jagged, draping over one side of her front and one side of her back, it's two tone colors becoming black and red. Her legs became an odd black to white gradient, her thighs almost morphing into the black of her dress. Her face changed too, the blue becoming a burning orange-red, and her features became dark and jagged, making her appear as if she had been burned.

"Hero..." She whispered, her voice a mesh of the shadows' deep baritone and her own sweet melodic voice. Link cringed, and managed to scramble to his feet, staring up at the fairy. "Who are you?"

"My name is Demise." A grin spread across her face, jagged teeth ripping her cheeks apart. "The bane of your pitiful race's existence."

"Master." Ghirahim piped up. "The girl is still on the surface world, she may have been rescued by the Sage already. We should hurry."

"Ah, yes. Just one more thing-" Demise replied, and reached a deep red hand out to grip the Master Sword. A spark of electricity cracked against her hand, and the sparks only intensified until her hand closed over the hilt. With a mighty grunt and a harsh tug, the blade came free of it's pedestal, to which Demise laughed gleefully. "Mine! Now the Master Sword is mine!!"

Holding it to the sky, the tip of the blade started glowing. The glow traveled down the blade, making Link's eyes widen exponentially. "And now hero, the world is mine too. I have my sword, and I will toss your poor excuse for a species into so much disarray.. Oh the possibilities! And I don't even need Ghirahim to do my work for me now!!"

She brought the blade down in a crescent shaped slice, and the glow of the blade materialized into a spinning attack of pure energy. Link still had no energy to move, he ran out of breath just pulling himself to his feet- but now there was an immense energy surging towards him, that would surely kill him if he was hit.

He blocked his face, futilely, but the hit never came. Instead, all that met him was a bright light and the sound of metal ringing in his ears. "Master!! Is what you say true? You have no need of me?!"

Ghirahim stood in front of him, a black blade of his own poised to block the strike. Demise looked enraged, beyond enraged, with the sword above her head again. "Ghirahim! Stand down!"

"Answer my question!" Ghirahim hollered back. Three more slashes of light came at him, each one a darker shade of purple than the last. "Get out of the way! I have no need for something that doesn't obey the commands it is told!"

"What...?" Ghirahim's guard dropped, and the next slash sent him flying the short distance to the wall. Link glanced to where the demon had fallen, and then back up at Demise.

"Feh! This is ridiculous! I have what I came for, there is nothing I need from you flies!" Demise hissed, and snapped. With sword in hand, and Zelda somewhere on the surface, Demise disappeared, leaving Link and Ghirahim alone.


	2. Of Budding Bruises and Relationships

Ghirahim paced about the chamber, biting his fingers and gnawing on his lips. Growls emanated from his throat one after the other, and he couldn't sit still at all. Link on the other hand, slumped against the wall, knees pulled to his chest, with his hands out in front of him. He fussed with Zelda's sail cloth in his hands, turning it and feeling the fabric, but never unfolding it from the near bundle she'd given it to him in. So what if he'd won it for the Wing Ceremony, he really wished he hadn't- If Zelda truly fell to the surface, she'd need a way to break her fall, and because of him she didn't have one. Link really wanted to wallow in self-pity, but the noise Ghirahim was making wouldn't allow it. "Please stop."

"What? Stop what?!" Ghirahim snarled, earning a tired, tearful look. "Your pacing... I can't really think."

"Thinking. Bah! Thinking about what!" Ghirahim mocked, throwing his hands into the air. Link tried to scowl, but failed, so he stood shakily instead, his body still heavy and unsteady. "Well it's better than whatever theatrics you're doing. I was thinking about Demise, and how she tossed you aside in favor of the Master Sword, right?"

"He."

"Excuse me?" Link asked, looking up at Ghirahim, who had stopped pacing.

"He. My Maste... Demise is a 'he.' Despite the fact the body he possessed is female, he is not to be addressed as such." Ghirahim corrected, pointing a finger upwards matter-of-factly. Link shrugged. "Alright, so HE stole the sword, and possessed the Fairy- Who was she?"

"I'm not sure." Ghirahim said. "She seemed to be the spirit of the sword, much like I am."

"You're the spirit of a sword?" Link asked, but didn't try to hide is surprise. "Alright, so if that's the case, then Demise has control over both the sword and the spirit. He runs to the surface world, but for what? What could he need the Master Sword for so badly? So, this got me thinking. You know what he wants, I need the sword back. We work together to steal the Master Sword so Demise will be forced to use you again."

Ghirahim stared at Link, eyes wide, then let out a bark of laughter. "That was what you came up with! Pathetic! And to think you were the Sacred Hero... Ha."

"Chosen hero? I'm not...?" Link bit his lip and shook his head. He took a few wobbly steps in Ghirarim's direction, crossing his arms. "It's what we have right now. What would you propose?"

"Nothing short of genius." The demon replied, leaning back on thin air, hands behind him, one leg crossed over the other in the picture of nonchalant grace. "My only question for you, why would you assist the enemy?"

Link smiled wryly, is face tired, tear stained, old. Ghirahim pushed off his chair, fully taking in the emotions on Link's face. Anguish, worry, pain, and just a little flicker of hope in those bright blue eyes. Link was trying to stay strong, to show this demon that he was not afraid, that'd he'd do whatever to get Zelda back. The boy explained, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Demise disowned you, meaning that until I get the Master Sword back, you're worthless to him. We have a common goal, and it would be a win-win for both of us."

Ghirahim stood, and circled around Link, hunched as if he was ready to pounce him. "You really think that's possible?"

"I think it's what you want." Link tried for a steady sentence. His voice cracked, a tear raced down his cheek. Ghirahim saw him start to shake harder, his fists clenching. "I-it's what I want, too."

Ghirahim paused, standing straight as Link broke down into tears. "I just- I don't know what to do and you're my only hope... Please... Please just help me... Please."

Ghirahim was stuck between turning him down and reaching out to comfort him. Why did he want to do that? He was a demon lord, he was Demise's greatest weapon...Well, up until about an hour ago, but still, he wasn't sympathetic in the least. He sighed deeply, he'd probably forever regret the choice he was about to make. "I hope you don't expect me to fully agree to this. If I see that you are going to die or I have the perfect opportunity to kill you or bring you to Demise, I won't hesitate to."

"Y-you mean-!!" His head snapped up and he turned to look at Ghirahim. Joy, relief, hope- his face flooded with emotion. "You'll really help me?!"

"I suppose that's what I just agreed to?" Ghirahim replied. He felt unsure of himself, why was he helping this boy? Somewhere, deep inside of him, it wasn't because of Demise. He'd deny that though, it was _always_ for Demise.

Always...

The boy held his hand out, fingers stretched wide. Ghirahim sighed, making Link regain his bearings and take on a serious face. He really tried to stop his smile from showing through. "This is only a temporary truce, though. For now, we are allies, working towards the same goal." He couldn't keep the excited edge out of his voice either.

"This is so pathetic." Ghirahim grumbled, and begrudgingly took Link's hand, shaking. Link shook back, firm, excited, his smile blossoming fully. "... I'm not calling you Master."


	3. Surface Tension

The surface was broad and confusing- giant trees sprung up from the ground like weeds. Water collected in small pools, and stayed in them. The air was clear and fresh, but heavy and more moist than Link was used to. He stumbled up to a tree, his hand reaching out- could he even call it a tree? The trunk was dark and rough and almost as thick as he was tall!

Ghirahim grumbled incoherently, alighting on the ground next to him and crossing his arms. "You've never seen a tree before."

"Never one like this..." Link breathed, kneeling. "And the grass is so much more soft... I could sleep on it~"

The blonde laid down and hummed, rooting his fingers into the ground. All of a sudden, the world didn't matter, and all he needed to do was sleep on the Surface World's grass...

Ghirahim snorted and kneeled next to the boy, yanking off his hat and tugging at a lock of his hair. "Get up, boy. This is no time for loafing about."

Link shot up and sent a hateful glare Ghirahim's way, fixing his hair and his hat. "Please don't pull my hair."

"'Please don't pull my hair,'" Ghirahim mocked, standing and crossing his arms. "We don't have time to lie around in the grass, I need to find my master! Now come on!"

Link debated giving a snappy remark about how Demise was Ghirahim's former master, but instead just huffed and stood up. "Look, I've never been to the Surface before, and I want to get a chance to look around a little, okay? You know what it's like but I don't, so at least give me a little slack."

"I-- we don't have time for slack. What about Zelda? Your plan to save her?" Ghirahim growled, almost regretting he mentioned it. Great, now it looked like he actually _cared_. Link glanced down at the ground and shuffled his feet, a sad sigh escaping his lips. "You're right. I don't have time to waste either. Let's get moving."

Ghirahim rolled his eyes and started walking away, when a rustle caught his attention. He halted mid-step, causing Link to run into his back and knock them both off balance. "Hey!"

"Shush!" Ghirahim hissed, unconsciously lending an arm to steady Link. "Did you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

The rustle sounded again, followed by a squeak that sounded something like, "kew-kew." Ghirahim's eyes flew wide- this was a sound he'd never heard before, nor could he sense what it was coming from. Whatever it was was no monster, this was something else.

A small raccoon-like creature burst from the bushes. It squeaked up at the two, little beady eyes focusing right on Ghirahim. Link gripped his arm and they both screamed, jumping back and stumbling to the floor. The little animal jumped about three feet off the ground, squealing as it ran off through the bushes.

"Wh-wh-wha-what was that-?!" Link asked, gripping the ground so hard his knuckles turned white. Ghirahim shook his head, mouth agape. "I don't know-- I've never seen it before!"

"Is it hostile?" Link asked again, blinking hard. He rubbed his eyes, before looking back into the bushes. He could see some of the grasses shaking and quivering out of time with the wind. His heart rate picked up again, and he gripped Ghirahim's arm like a scared child. "It's still here."

Ghirahim glanced down at the hand on his arm, then looked up to where Link was pointing. Sure enough, the grass was still shaking, and Ghirahim could just make out little flecks of it's white belly. He heard Link's heartbeat before he even had to look over and see he was scared; it was just a raccoon.

But Link didn't know that. Ghirahim had to remind himself that the boy had never been to the surface before today. Sighing melodramatically, he reached out for the bushes and brushed them aside, revealing the raccoon to Link. It startled, squeaking again, and tamed it's white eyes on the demon. "Do not fear, creature. I have no reason to harm you."

"But aren't you the Demon Lord? The one who released all the monsters into the forest?" The creature squeaked, looking between Link and Ghirahim. Ghirahim glanced over at the boy, then back at the animal. "Not a at the moment. What are you?"

"I'm a Kikwi." The little one answered, looking between the two. "My name is Machi. I was trying to help kick the monsters out of the forest, but they were too scary! I don't know where anyone else is anymore. I'm trying to find them, but I can't seem to! Aw, our camouflage works too well."

Link and Ghirahim looked at each other, then back at the Kikwi. It was fidgeting and poking it's little fingers together, which was incredibly cute, even in Ghirahim's opinion. He sighed, and turned to Link again. "These are the kind of things you have to deal with on the surface," he turned back to Machi. "Well, good luck finding your friends. We're looking for someone too, so we must be on our way."

The demon let the grasses go and stood, dusting himself off, but Link didn't stand. He just looked up at Ghirahim with this puppy dog face, eyes wide and doey. "We should help it."

Ghirahim groaned deeply, grabbing Link's arm and dragging him to his feet. "We can't stop and help every little woodland pest that we come into contact with! We'll run out of _time-_ "

Just then, Machi jumped from the bushes, squeaking in such a terrified manner Link cringed. There was another Kikwi with it, with black eyes, thick eyebrows, and a short black nose, a clump of grass growing from it's head. The two Kikwi ran at them, jumping behind Link's legs, the second one shouting, "Help us! Help us please!!"

A red pig-looking monster jumped from the bushes as well, brandishing a huge sword; the blade was chipped and rusted- unless that was blood. The color flooded out of Link's face and he rushed behind Ghirahim, grabbing the Kikwi pair as he went. The demon merely sighed and summoned his sword, deflecting the first strike from the monster.

The pig demon's blade slid off Ghirahim's harmlessly, and he came up under the other demon's defense for a clean slice to the throat. It squawked in anger, blackness spreading from the wound, before it was consumed by the shadow and disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Ghirahim turned to Link, who was curled in a ball holding one Kikwi, Machi standing behind him. He was watching, fascinated, but his eyes were laced with fear, skin white as a sheet. "What was that?"

"It's called a Bokoblin. They're mindless demons, some of the lowest ones," Ghirahim explained. "They're basically harmless."

"Basically harmless!" Link mimicked. "If you know how to use a sword!"

Ghirihim hissed, "And you _do_  know how to use one, don't you? You _were_ going to draw the Master Sword after all."

Link flinched at his words. "Uh, well... I know a little... Swordplay, I guess."

"You guess." Ghirahim repeated, crossing his arms. "'You guess' will get you killed."

Machi cut in cheerfully, "Well thanks both of you for helping us! You're still kind of scary, but I guess you're alright." The other Kikwi jumped out of Link's lap and gave his leg a soft pat.

"Good person. I like you." the Kikwi mumbled, fondly enough Link could hear it smiling.

"Oh. Uh, thanks?" Link asked, and grinned timidly. Ghirahim huffed and turned away from them, arms still crossed. Link gave him a small grin, saying, "Aw Ghirahim, don't be jealous."

"Ghirahim, don't be jealous." Machi crowed, but squeaked and hid behind Link when the Demon Lord turned on him and snarled.

Link laughed, and looked at the second Kikwi. "So who are you?"

"My name is Lopsa," It said, it's voice similar to Machi's. "I was looking for the Elder, but I was chased into a tree by some of those monsters. When I fell, I thought I was a goner, but I got away! I'm so lucky."

"The Elder?" Link questioned. Lopsa nodded.

"The Kikwi elder Bucha." Lopsa answered like it was common trivia. "We were separated from him when the monsters invaded. He was trying to find a way to drive them out, but now he's just trying to find all of the Kikwi."

"Hey, maybe you can help us!" Machi offered. "If you find all of us, and drive out the demons, we'll help you look for your friend!"

"Yeah! Elder Bucha may know something!" Lopsa agreed. "Come on, we'll take you to him."

Lopsa and Machi started hopping away, allowing Link to stand up and brush himself off. He started to trot after him, however, Ghirahim snagged the back of his tunic and pulled him back. Link choked and fell back on his butt, cringing when Ghirahim came to stand in front of him. "And what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to help them. You heard Machi, they'll help us find Zelda." Link stated. He started getting up, grunting when Ghirahim gripped his arm and pulled him up roughly. "Will you stop that!"

"Get it through your head, we don't have time for this!" The demon snarled, slapping Link's temple. The boy squeaked in shock, but retaliated with intrest, kicking Ghirahim's shin roughly.

"Why you-!!" He snarled, gripping the boy's neck. He punched Link, hard, in the jaw, then lifted him clear off the floor by his neck, throwing him flat on his back as soon as he started clawing at the demon's wrist. Ghirahim had his foot on Link's chest before he could even move, and pressed his weight down against him, making him choke and gag. "G-get off--"

"You clearly have forgotten who the more powerful of us is. Until you can defeat me, _I_ call the shots. Do you understand, boy?!" Ghirahim punctuated his statement by pressing down harder on Link's chest with every word, until he thought he'd snapped a bone. Link's vision blurred, his struggling became weak until he stopped. He was on the verge of passing out, breathing was becoming an issue, and if a bone wasn't broken it was bruised. He finally let go of Ghirahim's leg and closed his eyes, sucking in what he thought was his last breath...

And then the weight receded and sweet air rushed into his lungs. He arched his back with his gasp, his body wracking with coughs until his stomach hurt. Weak tears rolled down his cheeks, his head spinning with the head rush, but he managed to look up at Ghirahim. The demon was glaring down his nose with contempt, and something else. Regret? Apology? Link couldn't tell, he still felt dizzy.

"Wh-hy--" he managed to choke out. Ghirahim started walking away, his cape swishing. "Come on, before the Kikwi leave us behind."


	4. Cheater Cheater Kikwi Eater

Their search for Bucha and the other Kikwi was quiet, the only words exchanged being, "I think it's this way," and the like. Link was still gripping and touching the bruises at his neck, taking heavy breaths like he was worried about not getting enough air. Ghirahim almost felt worried. After all, he'd caused the boy to feel like that, and he may or may not have broken something.

Finally, the lord sighed and turned around, startling Link into backing away from him. "Come here boy."

"Why should I do that? You're not gonna kick me again, are you?" Link rasped, his hand at his chest. Ghirahim rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "No, I won't. Do you want your chest to stop hurting or not?"

Link cautiously padded over, nearly screaming when Ghirahim gripped his collar and dragged him forward. He flinched at the hand slapped against his chest, instantly gripping the demon's wrist with one hand of his own. "Ghira--"

"Silence." He demanded, focusing some of his energy into his palm. A pattern of glowing black-and-gold diamonds erupted across the front of Link's tunic. The young boy grimaced, opening his mouth, when all his pain was suddenly relieved. The throbbing burn in his chest was doused, the flowering bruises along his neck wilted until they vanished. Even his split lip was healed, and he felt like he could breathe again.

The diamonds faded and Ghirahim pulled away. He turned around, facing away from Link, and scratched his head.

"Did you just...?" Link started to ask. Ghirahim snorted and shook his head, turning around to walk onward. "Don't make me angry again, boy..."

Link placed a hand against his now-healed chest, and sucked in a deep breath. _Why would he have... Ghirahim was an angry, raging demon just under an hour ago, why was he suddenly being nice to me?_  Link thought. He watched the Demon Lord walk away, perplexed by the whole situation. _Could he really be... Willing to help me?_

* * *

The talk with Elder Bucha had gone over way smoother than Link would have thought. Ghirahim was oddly silent, and another Kikwi had turned up halfway through the meeting. That left only one to find, one more Kikwi until Link could get some intel about Zelda.

She was his childhood friend, they basically grew up together. They were inseperable, and Link would do anything to get her back. Forget Skyloft and the fate of the world, he wanted Zelda safe because she was his best friend.

They were told to look up in the trees, so they were walking with their chins up, scanning the branches and leaves for any Kikwi. Link wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. He was caught up in looking up, as well as thinking.

Thinking about Ghirahim and the whole healing thing just made him even more confused. The sudden urge to help, he supposed? But he was unsure why Ghirahim would suddenly try to help when he was set on killing Link earlier, or at least wounding him?

Link sighed deeply, coming back to his senses just in time to not run into Ghirahim's back. He stopped, but clearly touched something on the demon, for he turned around. "What?"

"What... What yourself! Why did you stop?" Link asked, trying to sound a little bit more angry than usual. Ghirahim shrugged, turning slightly to look at him. Boredom flashed through his eyes, a soft look of indifference on his face. "It's getting dark out, and mortals need to sleep at night, don't they? We should set up camp."

"We can keep searching. I can see pretty well in the dark." Link said, puffing out his chest. Ghirahim rolled his eyes at the boy. "Weather you can see or not doesn't make a difference. The fact of the matter is, if it's dark out, finding the remaining Kikwi will be that much harder. Besides..."

Link watched him curiously, until the demon turned around. "On second thought, you're right. Feel free to keep looking."

"Wait, what were you going to say?" Link asked, jogging to catch up to Ghirahim. The demon sped up slightly, until Link was running to keep up with him. "Wait! Ghirahim!"

He reached out for Ghirahim's arm, only to have his hand slapped away. He stumbled back, tripping over a conveniently placed, very sharp rock, and fell flat on his butt. He looked up to see Ghirahim gone, and scrambled to his feet. "Ghirahim? Ghirahim!"

Link looked around. The sky was indeed darkening, and he realized that though he'd camped outside with Zelda in Skyloft once or twice, he'd never actually camped. Not in a forest. Filled with giant looming trees, rustling bushes, and bugs.

And monsters.

He could feel his heart slamming against his ribcage, eyes wide with fear. The boy stood still, debating what he should do, should he call for Ghirahim again? Head back to the Kikwi's? Ghirahim did say he would leave if he saw an opportunity, maybe he did and left Link to fend for himself and hopefully not die and oh god what was that noise?!

"For Hylia's sake, are you mortals all so jumpy?" Ghirahim asked, emerging from the bushes. Link held back a scream and sighed heavily, placing a hand against his chest. "Don't do that! I thought you left me for dead."

"Aw, are you getting dependent on me? Heheheh, how pathetic." Ghirahim grinned in mocking. Link pouted, throwing a useless punch at his shoulder. "It's not that!"

"Then what, boy?" Ghirahim snickered, earning a somewhat tough glare. "Nothing. I'm not telling you."

"You're such a child. Come on, I found a clearing, let's set up camp."

Link huffed half-heartedly, but in reality was relieved to have found Ghirahim again. At least he didn't just up and leave, crappy demon...

Link shook his head and followed after his companion- he guessed that was what Ghirahim could be called- walking quietly behind him. The clearing was small and smelled of fresh dew and new plants. It was a new smell to Link, crisp and sweet. He almost had to stop for a minute to just take in the aroma. He laughed to himself, the smell would make a great perfume.

They set up camp, Ghirahim using magic to light a fire. They didn't eat anything.

Ghirahim tended to the fire while Link tried to sleep. He was tired, sure, but his mind was still wide awake. Where was Zelda, was she alright? Did she have even a moment to admire the lush forest? As a demon, did Ghirahim not have to sleep? How about sword training, would Link be able to figure out how to use a sword when he got back to Skyloft?

"If you have something to say, spit it out."

Link yelped, shooting up from his make-shift bed (merely his hat flipped inside-out and stuffed with leaves to make a pillow). He turned to see Ghirahim's dark eyes trained on him, his hand halted mid-poke at the fire. "I, um--"

"We're you thinking about that girl again? Zela or something?" He asked. Link nodded, whispering, "Her name is Zelda."

"Zelda. Right. Whatever. Anyway, if you're not planning on sleeping, we should find something else to do in the mean time." Ghirahim said. "But I'm not suggesting pillow talk or anything, that's childish."

Link snorted, watching the flames lick at the twig Ghirahim poked them with. "I guys. It was something we used to do all the time, at the Knight Academy. Zelda, Kareen, Pipit and I. We'd gather in Pipit's room and spend the nights just talking."

He cast a sad smile at the shadows. "Those were the days. Before Pipit and Kareen were busy all the time and... Well."

"I didn't ask for a trip down memory lane." Ghirahim retorted. He felt marginally bad, but it wasn't like he really cared. Link scratched his cheek. "You're right, sorry."

There was a short silence, tense and warm and muggy.

"Any other monologuing you want to do?" He finally sighed, standing up to dust himself off. Link followed suit, earning a pointed look. "What. I'm not going anywhere, go back to sleep."

"I wasn't even asleep in the first place." Link protested, crossing his arms.

"Then what?" Ghirahim demanded. "If you want to fight me on something else, you know how that will go."

"I don't want to fight- I barely-!" Link shut his trap and looked away. "I mean I... I barely fight with anyone anyway."

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't what you were saying. Did it have to do with fighting? You can't do it?"

"No! That's not it!"

"Then what? You're afraid you'll get hurt?"

"No!"

"What then?"

"I don't know how to use a sword!" Link blurted. When the demon lord turned to look at him, the boy chewed his lip but kept on looking forward.

"You've never fought with a sword before?" Ghirahim asked incredulously.

"No, never. The teachers at the Knight Academy always believed that it was meant for older students, and saved it for the last year of training." Link looked at the ground, a habit he seemed to be picking up. "I never learned."

Ghirahim sighed deeply and shook his head. "Well, you're not going to survive down here without even a lick of swordplay... I guess I have to teach you."

The demon summoned his energy into his hand, and with a short snap, his black blade materialized in a cloud of diamonds. He did a few test slashes, making a quick X-shaped slice, before spinning the blade in a circle in his hand and passing it over to Link by the hilt. The boy took it gingerly, testing the weight in his hands. "Are swords supposed to be this light?"

"I prefer lighter blades, but it should be heavier when I'm actually in it. Unlike the Master Sword, the weight of the blade changes depending on weather I'm using it or someone is using me as it." Ghirahim explained, looking around. Link stared after him, then looked down at the blade. He lifted it into the air and examined it.

"So it will be heavier if you actually become the blade... So it's like it's hollow right now?" Link asked, doing a couple of slow slashes.

"Essentially. If you noticed, the Master Sword's spirit floated. The blade will always be one weight, unless you manually change it." Ghirahim stated. Link nodded. "I think I understand... Wait. Why are we doing this right now though." Link asked, staring between the blade and Ghirahim.

The demon shrugged. "If you can't sleep, what better time than the present? Just let me teach you some things, you can practice more tomorrow."

"I... Okay." Link agreed, gulping. He readied himself how he'd watched Pipit do, holding his sword with both hands in front of him. Ghirahim tapped his chin, then came over, raising Link's hands after separating them.

"This isn't bad, but if you're going for speed, you're doing it wrong. Try it one handed- Yeah, and keep the other nearby, now you can do something with this hand too." He pulled away, leaving Link standing and awkwardly keeping balance. Ghirahim scoffed, kicking Link's back leg out behind him more. "You had your stance perfect. If I tell you to change your arms, don't move your legs."

He pushed Link's sword hand up, lightly tilting the blade at the sky more. "See what I mean? Focus on both at once. Keep your legs like this and your sword up. Don't let it drop, understood?"

Link nodded. "Yeah. I get it."

He shifted a bit, and in less than a minute had his stance perfect. He stared at Ghirahim, inclining his head. "Next?"

"A vertical slash. Just bring your sword down towards the ground." Link did as he was told, taking a step into the attack. Ghirahim nodded his approval, continuing, "A horizontal slash- the same thing, but from one side to the other. There's also a diagonal slice which is right between the two- practice them if you want, but you've probably got them already."

"I do want to practice. I need every chance I have to get better, right?" Link said, drawing himself out of his stance.

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. "What if I say no?" 

"I'd go find a tree to practice on Or something," Link answered with a shrug.

Ghirahim sighed, reaching down and picking up one of the branches on the floor. He spun it once in his hand and leveled it at Link's chest from across the clearing- It would have been menacing if the twig wasn't less than five inches long. "Well I wouldn't want your form to be sloppy. There's no better teacher than experience, right? Use what you just learned to cut the stick in half. If you're fast enough, you'll have no problem."

Link nodded, readying himself. He quickly rushed forward, slashing across Ghirahim's body, following with a diagonally slash from Ghirahim's left shoulder to his right hip. Link just barely shaved off the top of the twig, earning a nod of approval. "Good. Now faster!"

The next few tries, Link wasn't as lucky. He was quickly winded, and left panting as Ghirahim spun the twig in his fingers.

"You know," Ghirahim said absently, bending the wood slightly. "I could snap this without even touching it."

"Not helping," Link gasped, glaring up at the demon. "Again. I'm gonna get it this time."

The fire turned them into silhouettes- Link rushed forward, yelling a battle cry. Ghirahim snorted, only for his laugh to be cut short; Link feinted to his left, then moved in a V shape under Ghirahim's hand and went for a horizontal slash across his body. Link clearly felt the sword connect with the twig, he should have sent the top half flying!

Ghirahim and the twig disappeared in a cloud of diamonds, reappearing behind the fire, his cloak flaring behind him. He examined the twig in his hand, looking up at a very impatient Link. "You cheated!"

"What, the teleporting?" Ghirahim teased, standing. "I did say if you were fast enough."

"Yeah, but how am I supposed to get fast if I don't have proper training! I'm not even good at what I do know!" Link retorted, stabbing the sword into the ground. He crossed his arms and pouted, genuinely upset. Ghirahim laughed, throwing his head back and tossing the twig to the fire. "You could be better, true. Alright, we'll call that one null and do it over. Come at me."

He gathered another twig, slightly longer and thicker this time. Link drew the sword and readied himself, left hand forward. Ghirahim stepped around the fire, a smirk on his face as he held the twig out. 

"Here, I'll even hold it out for you." He mocked, waving the stick. 

Link's brows creased as he rushed forward, feinting to the left, then feinting again to the right. He came back for a stab at Ghirahim'a hand, forcing the demon to move. Link watched for terrain like Zelda always did whenever they play-fought as kids- trees all around, if he could just push Ghirahim into one... 

Link stabbed again, making Ghirahim back up. One more... But the demon saw it coming. He readied himself and hopped above Link's slash, flipping up and over him and landing with his back turned. 

"Oh come now, I know you can be smarter than that~" he taunted. 

Link pursed his lips and reared on Ghirahim, charging him again. He went in for a myriad of slashes, using all the attacks he'd learned in fast succession. He pressed Ghirahim, making the demon back up, fast enough that he actually slammed into a tree behind him. Ghirahim glanced back at the tree, then to Link, seeing his next stab for the branch coming. 

Ghirahim gasped, ducked, then dashed away, floating beside Link for a moment. Their eyes met, his blue and burning with determination, Ghirahim's wide with surprise. However, it quickly turned humorous, as Link moved forward and stabbed the sword into the tree.

He jerked to his left so as to not stab himself, letting out a frustrated huff when the sword didn't immediately come loose. Link tugged at it, only becoming more frustrated at Ghirahim's laughter. 

"It's not funny!" Link yelled, turning with his arms crossed to face Ghirahim. The demon looked positively ecstatic, his face split with a grin, glowing red in the low fire-light. 

"You're hilarious!" Ghirihim chortled, holding his stomach and doubling over. After another few minutes he finally stood and wiped his eyes, coming over. He pointed at Link with the twig, his grin coming back- Link merely cantered his hip, lips curled in a pout. 

"Oh stop that, I'll get it out. You're so-" 

Link reached over and yanked the stick out of Ghirahim's hand. He swung up from below the blade, catching the twig on the sharp side and severing it in half. He passed the remaining part to Ghirahim, stating, "I win." 

"What- What, no, that's cheating, I said cut it." The demon replied, looking at the twig in his hand. 

"I did!" Link stuck his tongue out. "Besides, you cheated by teleporting. It's only fair." 

"Oh aren't you just so cheeky." Ghirahim snorted, snapping. His blade disappeared, and he dropped the twig, running his hand over the deep groove in the tree. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. We'll try this again some other time, when the fire's brighter. Or when the sun is out."

"Yeah." Link conceded after a bout of silence. He went back to his spot in the grass, laying down on his back. Ghirahim took his seat by the fire, still tending to it as it smoldered out. 

A long while after, when it was dark and silent and only the chirping of bugs could be heard, Link was still awake. He rolled around, his eyes landing on Ghirahim's silhouette leaning against the dented tree. Link watched for a moment, before sighing and calling out, "Ghirahim?" 

"Did you have a nightmare and wet your pants?" Was his immediate snappy response.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" 

"I'm like you, I don't sleep." 

"Oh." 

They were silent again. 

"What do you want, boy?" 

"Um. I wanted to say..." Link felt color rise to his cheeks. "Th-thank you. For teaching me swordplay." 

Ghirahim snickered. "Well, I don't want my only way of getting back to my master dying, do I?" 

They left the conversation at that. When Link finally got to sleep, it felt like mere minutes before he was up again. 


	5. Exhaustion of Will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There will be blood this chapter. 
> 
> I also realize that I've really messed up Ghirahim's character, I'm sorry QQ Can you forgive me...?
> 
> NOTE NOTE: Anyway I was dying so this chapter is only edited up until about the fight with Demise. There is one line that's a placeholder until I can get a chance to run and check the pedestal out, but until then the thing about reading it and "one above one below" is a placeholder.

It was late in the afternoon when the dynamic duo finally got to the temple. After an exciting morning of finding the final Kikwi, discovering out that Link couldn't see underwater and that Ghirahim refused to get in, making a dousing crystal and fighting monsters on tightropes, they finally made it to their destination.

Link looked up at the Skyview Temple. He sent a small prayer to the goddesses that Zelda was inside. He didn't know if it was faith or a sign, but the dowsing crystal at his neck seemed to spread a warmth through his chest, as if saying, _she is here, you will find her._

He moved to hold the dousing crystal. How he made it was a funny story in itself, he didn't know that Kikwi had rituals for these kinds of things in the first place. They'd needed a shard from a goddess plume underwater, which took almost three hours to get because Link couldn't see. Eventually Ghirahim teleported and grabbed it, prompting an hour or so of huffy silence from him. They then needed to find a specific plant to make a casing out of, some sparkly spores from a mushroom, an amber relic, and some bird feathers for decoration. They eventually gathered everything and brought it to the Kikwi's, and after Bucha did some chanting they headed up to see an old Kikwi living in a tree to finalize the ritual. From there the rest was easy- Focus on using it and it shall be used.

Link got the dowsing crystal to work for him immediately, where it pointed to the Skyview Temple. Link had only focused on Zelda, and the crystal showed him the way. It was the best intel he could get from the Kikwi- From anyone.

And that led them to the rest of the day, right down to standing in front of the temple. Ghirahim was no longer in a bad mood, but he wasn't in a necessarily good one either. Link held the sword at his hip, a hand coming to rest on the hilt. Well, he supposed he should go in, if the crystal told him Zelda was inside, by god he would go. A chance was better than nothing.

He drew his slingshot and shot at the gem above the door. It took him two tries, but once the gem broke apart and turned grey making the door open, he went in with an exhale of breath.

* * *

"I'm finished with this temple can we leave now."

"Don't you want to find Zela or whoever."

"Zelda, and yes I do, but..." Like shivered, shaking himself off. "Urgh, why did we have to fight spiders."

"It's only one room, and there will probably be more. Suck it up." Ghirahim was busy picking chunks of web off his cloak, shaking the gunk off his hands and smearing it on the wall. They'd just finished a fight between them and a Skulltula, which started with Link screaming shrilly in surprise and ended with them covered in spider goop and webs. 

Ghirahim didn't understand it, it was just a giant arachnid with eight grabby arms a face on it's butt. It couldn't possibly be _that_ scary.

Ghirahim groaned, finally un-summoning and re-summoning his cape to get it cleaned. They passed through the first three rooms with no incident, using Link's puzzle-solving skills to get through most. Ghirihim wouldn't admit it out loud, but Link was brighter than he was getting credit for. He also had a really good habit of looking up after finding the first switch stone above them and using his slingshot to activate it.

Link held a wooden shield on his back and kept his slingshot readily available, in case they needed anything. He'd found the shield lying just inside, probably a memento from some adventurer long dead. He took it for himself, with Ghirahim's helpful input that it would come in handy.

"Well, with that thing gone, we might as well explore the lower level." Ghirihim said, looking down over the bridge. The level wasn't too far below, but there didn't seem to be a way to get back up. He could probably teleport them both, but he'd leave that for later.

Link looked around, his eyes landing on a pedestal in front of them. He started moving towards it, so he could read it. He skimmed it, reading the words out loud. "... One above and one below..."

Link immediately looked up, but didn't spy anything. He glanced down at the lower level again, shrugging. "We should check the other rooms first before getting caught down here. There may be a clue somewhere."

As he was walking back across the bridge, still looking around, he strayed a bit too close to the edge. He lost his footing, slipping on some loose rock under him, and with a yelp slid forward. He landed on his back on a tree, then slipped down the bark, landing hard on his feet. He fell to the floor with a weak cry, holding his ankle tightly.

"You foolish boy..." Ghirahim muttered, alighting next to him in a flash of diamonds. Link sent him a glare, waiting for the throbbing in his ankle to subside a bit before sitting up.

"I know I should have been watching, don't tell me again..." Link huffed, examining his ankle. "I twisted it, give me a minute..."

Ghirahim sighed and kneeled down, his hand hovering above Link's ankle. Gold diamonds appeared across his boot in a ripple as his hand moved up and down, the diamonds disappearing when he moved away. Link watched with much interest, looking up when he was done.

"You healed it."

"It was just twisted," Ghirahim muttered, standing with a swish of his cloak. "You can stand now."

Link got to his feet, dusting off. Before he could say thank you, Ghirahim was gone, reappearing on the platform above. Link looked after him, trying to find a way up.

"There's ivy to crawl on."

"Oh. Thanks." Link called back. He started heading over, almost cursing when he got close. "Spiders...!"

"More?!" Ghirahim demanded, looking at the ivy. He made a 'tch' noise with his tongue, teleporting back down- hopping and crawling were below him. Once next to Link, he looked at the spiders on the ivy. They were tiny and could easily be killed, but was it worth wasting deku seeds on them? They hadn't even explored the area either.

He sighed deeply, his head dropping. "Let's look around some first. We may find the answer to that puzzle you read."

"Yeah..." Link agreed, slowly backing off. The spiders didn't want to seem to leave the ivy, giving Link comfort in turning around.

The two searched the lower area for a while, finding nothing but some deku seeds and two green rupees. Ghirahim had given up and was looking at the spiders, devising a plan to kill them without wasting any magic or deku seeds, when Link called out to him. The demon lord turned to him, seeing him pointing excitedly at a patch of grass.

"It's just weeds."

"But behind the weeds is a tunnel! I bet what we're looking for is back there! Come on!"

Link kneeled and started crawling through the tunnel, his shield scraping against the top of the wall. Ghirahim looked at the opening, barely large enough for him to fit. He wasn't about to get his clothes dirty either, but he couldn't see his destination on the other side. With a huff, he hunkered down and got on his belly, pushing the grass aside so he could crawl through.

As he emerged on the other side, he gave a melodramatic gruntto alert Link to his presence. The boy nodded in acknowledgement, and returned to aiming his slingshot up at a switch stone. In one shot he hit the stone, smiling triumphantly as it flipped to black. There was a rumbling from one of the other temple rooms.

"Great," Link started, smiling at Ghirahim kneeling down to crawl back. "Now let's head back and--"

A splash of water assaulted Link, making him splutter and jerk back. He rolled onto his back, sitting up, only to find himself already sitting in water. He scrambled to his feet, panicking as the water started to steadily rise, past his ankles and to his shins.

"Oh god Ghirahim I'm sorry I just killed us both!" Link panicked, looking around the room. There was no way to swim back, not with the force if the water coming through the tunnel. They were already thigh deep, Ghirahim's cloak fanning out and floating in the water, the fabric absorbing liquid as it rose to ther waists. In a few seconds, Link was floating, and Ghirahim was struggling to swim with the weight of the cloak bearing down on him.

"You- Idiot boy!" He cursed, snapping. In a flash of diamonds he disappeared, leaving Link alone. Seconds later he reappeared in an open section of the wall above some ivy, hand out to beckon Link to him. "Over here, you dolt, I don't have all day."

"G-got it!" Link choked, swimming over. The water slowed to a halt, landing just above the edge of the ivy. Link pulled himself up, the weight of his wet clothes making it hard. Ghirahim grabbed the back of his tunic and tugged up, dragging Link onto the platform.

"You, Skychild, are more trouble than you're worth."

* * *

They managed to get out of that room and through the next few with little incident. The next ones were easy anyway, with the only challenging thing being a Stalfos that Ghirahim fought. The two bickered over who got the prize Beetle, eventually deciding that since Link had pockets and no sword it was his. They messed around with it and killed some things before moving on, catching a fairy in the process.

* * *

"Did the crystal tell you she was here?"

Ghirahim stood behind Link with his arms crossed, watching him struggle to use the dowsing crystal. They stood in front of a golden door, a canyon behind them and the puzzle-like key in Link's hand. He was fretting about with the crystal, looking between it and the door. Worry creased his features, his whimpers becoming increasingly anxious.

"I don't know, it's not working. This is bad, do you think it's broken? What if it was one time use? I messed it up, didn't I..."

"Stop panicking," Ghirahim sighed, taking the key. He lined it up accordingly, pressing it into the door. "I'm sure something about this lock is preventing you from using it. Once we're inside we'll find out what's going on."

The door slid open, causing the dowsing crystal to pulse. Link sighed with relief, fastening it around his neck again and tucking it into his collar. Zelda was still here; thank the goddesses.

He padded into the room, loud clanging and grunts meeting his ears the further in he went. As they entered a large, open dome, Link and Ghirahim immediately assumed stances, eyes widening. Demise floated across the corridor, slashing furiously at a locked door with the Goddess Sword. When he sensed Link and his former blade, he stopped mid strike and turned to them, face contorted into a snarl.

"If it isn't the defector and mortal pest." Demise sneered, leveling his blade at Ghirahim. "You dare show your presence in front if me?"

"M-master," Ghirihim bowed deeply, sparing a glance at Demise. Demise gave him a twisted smile making him look away, before turning towards Link.

"And what are you doing here?" He asked, shaking the sword in his grip. Link gulped, fear overtaking him and locking the words in his throat. Demise stared him down, his grin widening impossibly. "That's easy, you're here for the spirit maiden, aren't you. Because you care soooo much about her. You wove her, don't you, wittle boy~?"

Link clenched his fists, head dropping. "D-don't mock me," he managed, gritting his teeth. "So what, she's my best friend, I'm going to protect her! I'll _help_ protect her from monsters like you!"

"Monster?" Demise asked. In a flash he was hovering in front of Link. The boy was paralyzed with fear, eyes wide as he looked back up. He couldn't move again, he felt like he was suffocating.

"I've been called so much worse."

Demise slashed across Link's body, the wave of energy pushing him back more than wounding him. Link stumbled and rolled upon landing, quickly pushing himself to his feet. Ghirahim looked away from him, back to Demise, and bowed his head again, was that going to happen to him?

"Ghirahim, it was reckless of me to throw you away. Come back, will you?" Demise also kneeled, making Ghirahim look up, eyes wide and surprised. His master never kneeled to his level, ever. Demise tried for some semblance of a smile, but that twisted, jagged grin only widened. "Let's kill the Skychild and this will all be forgotten."

Link gulped, staring at Ghirahim. "You wouldn't..."

Ghirahim looked between Demise and Link, then huffed out a laugh. He waited for Demise to rise, then stood while chuckling, "What would make you think I wouldn't? Good bye, foolish boy."

"Ghirahim, don't!" Link yelled, running forward. He gripped Ghirahim's wrist and tugged, making him stumble back. "You can't! I don't have the Goddess Sword back yet!"

"Like I care! I told you if I had a chance to return that I would take it! This is my chance!" Ghirahim hissed, whirling around as much as he could to slap Link across the face. He barely registered the sudden buzz of energy up his arm, until Link glared at him, blue eyes set ablaze with anger and betrayal. Link spit to the side, his grip only tightening- Ghirahim winced, actually _winced_ at the grip on his arm and the venom in the boy's voice. "You wanted a fight? I'll give you one. And this is one you can't win."

Ghirahim felt the boy's sheer willpower overtake his and force a transformation- he yelped as he was forced into becoming a blade, curling in on himself in pain. Energy buzzed through his body, had that stupid boy really just overpowered him...?!

A primal grin split Demise's face. He stared at Ghirahim in Link's grasp, eyes narrowing gleefully. "Well well, the wittle boy learned how to use a sword! Aren't you just so powerful now."

Ghirahim could feel Link's energy wavering with every breath. He was exerting more power than he actually had to keep him as a sword, and though it was working, he couldn't hold it for long. Was he really about to go up against Demise like this?  _Stupid boy!_ Ghirahim thought to himself- with the amount of will overpowering him, he couldn't even use his magic to give Link an easier time. The boy would burn out before the fight even started!

Link said nothing and charged forward, only to have Demise blast him back with a slash from the Goddess Sword, followed by one of those strikes of energy. Link blocked the energy by holding Ghirahim straight up and down so the strike spiraled against him, making the demon screech in pain. It was like nothing he'd ever known before, like electricity and fire and sheer cold all at once, wracking up and down his body. Link could only feel the heat against his arms, gasping as he swung Ghirahim and shattered the strike. Sparks flew, a few hitting him in the face and arms, making him flinch at the burn of them. Demise sent a pair of slashes at him again, forcing Link to stumble as he dodged.

He tripped running forward, nearly falling, but instead catching himself. As he got close to Demise, he swung Ghirahim upwards warranting a dodge. He continued to slash and stab, each hit being dodged or deflected, before Demise clashed their swords together and stopped him completely. Link gasped, nearly losing his hold. His wrist tweaked and he grit his teeth, pressing Demise back. Demise returned the action, hovering over him and making him shake.

"You're so interesting~" He sing-songed, like he was actually having fun. "But your strikes are wild, erratic. You have no form. Honestly, did you really think you could beat me? You're _nothing_ compared to me."

Demise pushed him back, sheer forced sending Link flying. The boy slammed into the wall, his head impacting hard enough to make him see stars and almost black out for a moment- But he couldn't, Zelda's safety was still at stake, and he...! His shield dug into his back, making him stifle a sob, pain jolting his body.

He slid down the wall, landing on his feet with a weak thump and a stumble. He slumped against the wall and held Ghirahim out, prepared to block another attack, but it was clear he was shaking heavily. He was still exerting too much of himself on Ghirahim, keeping him under control. He felt blood streak through his hair and down his neck, his vision was blurring, his breath was coming in harsh, quick gasps- He wondered how he was surviving.

If Ghirahim could yell actual words, he would. He could feel Link's energy draining, the shaking alone was giving him vertigo. If he kept going, they'd both probably die- And being suppressed like this was still wounding him. He couldn't take many more hits, Link had to know that if he was broken he'd die. Demise knew that too, and yet he was still going all out. He... Really didn't want Ghirahim anymore.

Demise chuckled under his breath, amused that Link was still fighting. He was weak and drained, Demise could feel that much. It was comical, really, his blind devotion to the spirit maiden, how he'd throw his life away for her. He raised the Goddess Sword above his head, the energy gathering to the tip of the sword. His chuckles became full-blown laughing as he swung the blade down, firing a final spiral of energy at Link.

Link flinched and put Ghirahim up again, the energy colliding with the demon blade. Ghirahim felt the pain, screamed out loud- Link's yell harmonized with him, something dumb for him to note. Link used the wall to brace himself, grunting under the pressure. Like last time, he swung Ghirahim out again, dispersing the energy. With a desperate shriek he swung back down, hearing a _shing!_ before the clang of Ghirahim colliding with the ground.

Demise's laughing turned to a strangled grunt making Link look up. He'd been thrown across the room and was rising from where he'd bounced on the floor, a snarl tearing his face. "You insolent pest! How dare you retaliate with my own attack!"

He fired another three blasts, two of which Link deflected. They dug into the wall before dispersing, each one pushing him back slightly more. The third one Link held his ground for, absorbing it again and flicking it back. Demise did the same, knocking it towards him again. Link didn't have the energy to deflect it and the hit knocked Ghirahim back into him, crushing him into the wall. Link fell to the floor, finally relinquishing his grip on the blade; Ghirahim transformed with a groan, sans cape, and curled onto his side, shivering in obvious pain.

"You... Foolish boy!" He hissed, clenching his fists.

"Agreed-" Demise looked to the door and let out a sigh, turning back to Link. The boy was on his knees, trying to force himself back to his feet. Demise tsked at him, swishing the Goddess Sword as he floated over. "I got carried away, the Spirit Maiden has left. She's going to the next sacred spring, wherever that is. Tch, I'll find her again, as soon as I deal with you."

"I won't let you!" Link managed, rising somewhat. He heard the swish of a cape and the Master Sword cutting through the air- pain exploded across his back taking the breath from his lungs. Demise tsked again, exerting more force where he'd struck the shield to crush Link into the ground. He heard the boy's face collide with the floor, something akin to a bone snapping maybe? It didn't matter, blood started to pool under him so he was probably dead... Demise flicked his sword, blood an energy flying off and splattering against the ground.

"If you live through this, which is highly doubtful, you best not get in my way again."

With that, Demise disappeared leaving the two alone.

Ghirahim heard Link sobbing, not sobs of pain but of disappointment. Ghirahim almost wanted to cry himself, but didn't. Who cared if Demise abandoned him again. It was probably inevitable anyway... He pulled himself to his knees, his body aching, and rifled through Link's pouches for the fairy, opening the bottle so it could fly to the boy. It didn't do much, merely stopped the blood and healed the cut on the back of his head, probably also some burns- It took the edge of pain off. Ghirahim set to work healing the large things, Link's nose and shoulder, maybe the concussion. He didn't want to watch anything reform or graft back together, not now. He took the wrecked shield from Link's back and tossed it aside, shaking the boy's shoulder once he was finished.

"Get up, this isn't the time for lounging."

Link sniffled, shaking his head. "I couldn't save her..."

"No, you couldn't." Ghirahim answered, somber, quiet. Upset.

Link let out another sob, turning to his side and covering his face with his hands. Nothing felt broken anymore, he could fully move his arm again, but the pain in his heart was crushing. "How can I... I'm useless- I couldn't even fight Demise without nearly dying, how...!"

"Don't beat yourself up, Skychild," It felt almost affectionate, the tone left a sour taste on his tongue. "You weren't ready for that fight. But you have to find her again. Let's see what's behind this door so we can get back to the task at hand.."

Link moved his hands, his eyes dull and watery. "You'll still help me?"

Ghirahim gave him a hard look. "Do I have a choice? Demise abandoned me. There's no reason I shouldn't help you now. Besides..." He looked away and chewed his lip. "Besides, I guess I have a score to settle with that other sword."

Link gave him a small smile, still teary, as he muttered, "You're jealous."

"I'm not," Ghirahim replied, standing. He summoned his cloak with a snap, tugging the fabric up around his mouth. "The door is open. Let's go."

"R-right." Link stood with some assistance from the wall. Ghirahim had to help him walk to the door, but after that he seemed fine. They took a moment to reel from the light, Link taking the chance to wipe his tears.

The surrounding area was one expansive, breathtaking fountain. The three platforms were surrounded with sweet-smelling clear water. Said platforms lead to a statue, at the base of which was a similar emblem to the one floating in the Goddess statue. Birds chirped and flew freely, and the sunlight reflected off the water painting the walls, pillars, and statue with a rippling pattern. Everything had been kept in stunning condition, like the forces of nature and darkness had never touched it, ever.

"It's... Beautiful..." Link breathed, looking around. Ghirahim nodded, even he seemed to be taken by the beauty of the place.

"I wonder what your friend was doing here..." He muttered under his breath, kneeling at the side of their platform to touch the water. It was cool on his skin, gently kissing his fingers and hand as he sunk lower and dragged his hand around.

Link shrugged, already hopping to the statue in the center. He looked between the floating emblem and the face of the statue, turning to call, but Ghirahim was already coming his way.

"It's the same as the one back in Skyloft." Link said excitedly, wiping at his face again. "I know how to activate it."

"What are you waiting for?" Ghirahim shrugged, motioning to the statue. "Indulge me."

Link's smile dropped, he hesitated before saying, "Wait... We don't have the Goddess Sword. We- We can't."

"What did we need?" Ghirahim demanded, with his usual authority, but his voice was still quiet.

"The- Those blasts of energy. Zelda's father called them 'Skyward Strikes' but..." Link looked down, chewing his lip. "There's nothing we can do."

"Wait." Ghirahim stepped forward, gathering his energy into his palm. Some of the residual magic from the strikes from earlier came with it, not much though, but enough. He readied his hand, admiring how the veins up the length of his arm colored electric blue. Link watched, fascinated eyes wide and reflecting the blue in Ghirahim's body.

"Stand back," the demon lord muttered, watching Link move out of the way. He didn't know if this was going to work or not, but he wasn't about to risk the boy getting hurt. He'd had enough of healing him for one day.

Ghirahim slashed his arm across his body, forcing the energy out in an arc in front of him. It wasn't a perfect spiral- in fact the slash wasn't round at all, more of a forward arc really, but it did what was needed. The emblem lit blue and spun around, sending a pulse of Energy that only Ghirahim felt.

He gripped his head as jumbled words started filling his mind. He could barely make out said words over the ringing in his ears, but he got some of it before he collapsed into a heap on his knees. Link was at his side calling for him, but Ghirahim merely pointed up.

Link looked to the statue, a glow emanating from it's chest. He could see a large shape forming, but couldn't place what it was- It was nothing he'd ever seen before. When the glow subsided, a large stone tablet remained, and floated over to Link. Transfixed, he stood to receive it, holding his hands out as though he was made to hold the thing.

Link ran his hands over the tablet in his hands, fingering the red gem. It was strange, the tablet showed very few signs of wear, some of the markings looked as though they'd been etched just the day before. However, the back and sides were smooth and worn, rough where it looked broken, he wondered what had happened to it and how many years ago.

The glowing stopped, and Link almost dropped the tablet with the sudden weight of it. He gently put it down, then went to Ghirahim's side.

"Are you alright?" He asked timidly.

Ghirahim nodded, still holding his head. "We should go back to Skyloft. I don't think there's much time... Gah, my head..."

"Much time? What..."

"The hole in the clouds was opened by the black tornado, but it's closing, I can feel it. We should leave before you..." Ghirahim slumped forward, his hand dropped. Link panicked, shaking the demon and calling his name. He looked around, as though the temple would give him a solution, but nothing seemed to come. If the clouds were closing... He couldn't leave the tablet, but he couldn't leave Ghirahim, and he couldn't carry both at once.

Well, there was one thing...

It took some effort but Link managed to secure the map piece at his hip, then turned back to Ghirahim. He hesitated, worried about how much power he'd exerted earlier- He didn't know how long he could hold that level of control over Ghirahim again, and he still felt drained. But he had to try. Gently touching Ghirahim's shoulder, he forced his will onto the demon, making him transform into a blade.

Resting Ghirahim comfortably against his hip, he stood and headed outside, moving back through the temple. He ignored monsters on the way, feeling bad about using Ghirahim without his consent for a second time- but he notice that in his unconscious state he was easier to control.

Once outside the temple, Link was met by Machi, the Kikwi from the day before.

"Eeek! Is that blood, kwi?!" Machi squeaked, hands covering where it's mouth would be.

"Yeah, don't worry about it..." Link said with a smile, adjusting his tunic so it wasn't falling off his shoulder so much in the back.

"But that's a lot of blood kwi-koo... Are you gonna be okay?" Machi asked, worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine, trust me. Thank you for your dowsing stone, I helped a lot." Link hurried, trying to finish the conversation quickly. He couldn't spot the hole in the clouds.

"Did you find your friend? I don't see them with you, kwoo." Machi replied, looking around.

Link shook his head sadly. "No, not yet. But we know where she's going and the dowsing stone helped. Thank you."

"You got it, Kwoo-ki!" Machi cheered, then turned and scuttled off with a final goodbye.

Link sighed in relief, heading towards one of the bird statues nearby. He remembered the Sage lady they'd first met had told him he could get back with a bird statue... He reached out and touched it, a sudden orange glow whipping around him.

"This can bring me back..." He mumbled, taking out the sailcloth. He touched the bird again, saying, "to the sky."

The orange wind hit him full force again, inflating the sailcloth and throwing him high into the air. He almost lost his grip, but held on just barely. When he was brought above the clouds, he realized that the reason he couldn't see the hole was because it had closed- and only the magic from the bird statue could open in for him.

That scared Link, that he'd almost been trapped on the Surface.


	6. Thank you. For what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tfw you should be updating other fics an you don't lol 
> 
> I had a sudden blast of inspiration and decided to finish this chapter. I just pulled up Gate of Time from the OST and just listened to that one fifteen minute extended version on repeat while I churned this out lol
> 
> Casual reminder that no matter what this isn't a Ghiralink fic lol Though I suppose I'm making it canon fodder lol Also I don't believe Link is a crybaby but he's going through hell so I think he's entitled to some tears lol

Ghirahim had never felt a warmth like this. It spread through his body and made him feel comfortable, like he could relax with no consequences- it was... Nice.

Ghirahim cracked his eyes, light blinding him for a moment. He didn't remember the forest ever being this warm, even when in the direct sun- 

He shot up, then flopped back down, his head ringing. There was a thump to his left but be ignored it, groaning under his breath as he tried to figure the problem out. He remembered words, jumbled and wretched sounds, entering his mind- he couldn't discern them even now. His body wasn't sore though, meaning he must have been healed or healed himself... He looked to his left when the ground dipped. 

Link hovered over him, sans green clothing- He was wearing a white shirt, something red tied around his waist that Ghirahim didn't think to hard about. He gave Link a scowl, rolling over.

"What, boy. I'm awake." Ghirahim muttered into the wall. He took a second to analyze his surroundings, realizing that he was in a room, and was in fact sleeping in a bed. Where were they though? This certainly wasn't the forest. 

"I know, I'm surprised!" Link exclaimed, a laugh in his voice. The laughter died and the weight on the bed receded, Ghirahim assumed he had taken a seat on the floor or something. 

"You were out for a full day." Link finally said, kneading his hands in his lap. He'd pulled up a stool from one corner of the room and was sitting on that. 

Ghirahim was silent for a moment, finally rolling onto his back and asking, "A full day?" 

"Yeah," Link answered, "I didn't know if you were dead or not." 

"Well I must have been breathing." Ghirahim snapped, pushing past the pain in his head to sit up. Link reached out to steady him, moving his hands back when Ghirahim tried to slap him. 

"S-sorry-" Link mumbled, looking down at his lap. Ghirahim sighed deeply, turning to stare out the window. The brightness of the sun reflecting off the clouds assaulted his eyes, making him shiver in contempt. He couldn't hear anything from there, but he could see people walking, some children catching bugs. Skyloft... He must have been on Skyloft. 

"Are you feeling alright?" Link asked meekly, looking away. Ghirahim turned to him, a passive and indifferent look on his face. He nodded slowly, putting a hand on his head again. 

"Your goddesses tried to tell me something, but I couldn't make sense of it. I'll need some time to figure it out. How did you get me back here? And where is 'here' exactly, where in Skyloft." Ghirahim mumbled. His head still felt fuzzy, he felt drained of his magic. But the one thing he could feel was that all-too-familiar shocking cold burn. That residual energy left in his body from the Goddess' Sword.

Link kneaded his hands again, whispering, "I'm sorry..." 

Ghirahim's head snapped to look at him. "Speak up, boy." 

"I'm sorry. I forced you to transform into a sword again and I carried you back to Skyloft with me. I didn't have any other choice." Link blurted, clenching his hands together. "And I couldn't just leave you, so..." 

"You... You're really stupid, aren't you." Ghirahim asked, eyes widening. "After everything I've done, you'd bring me back here, when you should have just left me on the surface? What are the people going think, now that you've sided with a demon? You're finished boy." 

"You're welcome." Link huffed. "Tell me about the goddess' message. What happened?" 

"It’s exactly as I said, she tried to speak and I couldn’t understand,” Ghirahim snapped, his eyes narrowing to a glare. “Everything was jumbled, there were two many voices and words at once; I hate to say it, but I was overwhelmed and, well, you know the rest.” 

“I see…” Link answered, his head drooping. So he didn’t get the message, meaning that they were back to square one… Other than that map fragment being said to open a hole in the clouds, Link had no idea where Zelda had gone, or what he was supposed to do next on his journey. He was hoping that this ‘message’ would tell him something, but… 

They sat in silence for a long time. Ghirahim looked out over Skyloft again, and when it started to become dark he realized he’d awoken late in the day instead of early in the morning. As he surveyed the clouds, he realized that the hole from the black tornado was gone as well. 

“How did we get back?” 

“Oh, right. The bird statue opened a hole in the clouds long enough for me to get through. When I got back, Zelda’s father had the first map fragment for me. Um… It has another one of those sigils though… Without a Skyward Strike, I can’t put the fragments in,” Link explained his voice becoming more downcast with every word. Without a way to get to the surface, Link couldn’t find Zelda… 

Ghirahim nodded, then looked to his companion. He had been getting used to the second energy buzzing in him, but he realized exactly what it was now. A Skyward Strike… He wondered how he was able to absorb them, maybe the reason it hurt him so much was because the presence was holy compared to his demonic one. Deciding to give it more thought later, he shrugged it off and stood, a bit wobbly but able to walk. 

“Hey, you shouldn’t be moving yet…” Link attempted, standing despite himself. 

Ghirahim merely shrugged him off with a shake of his head. “You said you had two map pieces. Show me to the sigil.” 

“Can you…?” 

“Would I be making you take me there otherwise? Let’s go.”

* * *

 

Ghirahim stared at the pedestal, it was almost exactly like the one they’d seen in the pond. He still felt the energy buzzing in him, and if he really focused on it, there was just barely any left. He hoped it would be enough, he didn’t want to deal with a mopey, crying Link for the rest of the Skychild’s lifetime… 

Which would be short if Demise got to the Spirit Maiden, so maybe it wouldn’t be all bad. 

He ahemmed to himself, already noting the two map fragments in place. He ran his fingers over them, lingering on the jewels before looking up. Green for the forest… The other was a volcano, if he remembered correctly. 

“We just have to strike it, right?” Link asked from behind him, looking over his shoulder. Ghirahim growled a bit and nodded, getting annoyed with the boy’s constant moving. 

“Be still for a moment while I work,” he eventually hissed, and started focusing. There wasn’t much energy to gather in his palm, and he didn’t think he could manifest a full Skyward Strike… Ghirahim only hopped the goddess wouldn’t attempt to talk to him again as he walked to the pedestal. He reached his hand up and touched one of the sigil’s wings, giving it a bit of a push to make it spin. He felt relief immediately, tension releasing from his body in a strong rush as the energy flowed out of him and into the sigil. He didn’t realize he’d shut his eyes until the backs of his eyelids were lit up with a red and green light. When he opened them again, the last thing Ghirahim could see where the two flashes flying to the top of the tower and then out. 

“What were those?!” Link exclaimed, already ready to make his way outside. 

Ghirahim looked to the maps again, then up at the top of the tower, before finally resting his eyes on the door. “I think those are openings to the surface…” 

“Openings? But won’t Demise be able to get through?” Link asked, looking to Ghirahim. His tone was heavy with worry. 

“... I’m not sure… But I don’t think he’ll be able to, last time it took a lot of his power; that tornado was him coming through. He can’t expend that same amount while holding onto that other spirit’s body.” Ghirahim sighed, starting to walk out of the chamber. Link fell into step with him immediately. 

“So we’re safe then?” 

“For now, I assume so. Let’s see where those lights lead.” 

Coming outside, Link immediately rushed to one of the handrails, pointing to a red pillar of light. “Look, Ghirahim, look! That was just opened, it wasn’t there before!” 

Ghirahim walked over slowly, leaning against the handrails. He was mildly impressed, he wasn’t going to lie, and was almost taken by the beauty of Skyloft at night. The stars on the midnight blue sky, how clear the air was, even the bright red pillar casting it’s light onto the clouds below… It was beautiful, breathtaking even. 

“You were right…” Link breathed, calming. Ghirahim glanced up to the boy, eyebrows raised. 

“I was right?” 

“About it opening a hole in the clouds, to the surface…” 

Ghirahim responded with silence, watching Link for a moment more before turning out to the scene in front of him again. Wind raced by them, chilly in the cooling night air. It felt dry and light, nothing like the humid, warm forest air. It was tranquil, the only interruption being Link sniffling once. 

“Getting cold?” Ghirahim looked up at him, eyes widening when he found Link crying? The demon stood up straight, not sure where this was coming from. 

“What are you crying for? I haven’t said anything rude to you all day, did you get some tiny injury and--” 

“Thank you.” Link choked out, wiping his eyes furiously. “Thank you, I’m sorry you got hurt, but thank you for opening that hole in the clouds… Without you, I don’t… I wouldn’t… Zelda would be lost and I’d have no hope, so I…”

“... You’re- You’re welcome.” Ghirahim tripped over his words, blinking in confusion. He’d never been  _ thanked _ before, and it left him with a warm, giddy feeling in his chest… The only thing he’d gotten from Demise were the rare praises, but the boy next to him was outright sobbing ‘thank you’s’ to him… Ghirahim wasn’t sure what the feeling making his gut twist was, he wasn’t even sure he liked it. But hearing those two simple words made him flutter a bit. He turned away and looked out to the red pillar again, listening to link sniffle until he had calmed down. 

“Are you done?” Ghirahim asked, only a shadow of his usual sarcasm. He heard Link nod, and stood in turn. “Let’s go then. We’ll gather your things, then go to the surface.” 

“Um, about that… I’m not certified to fly at night, so we’ll have to leave in the morning...:” Link answered, not looking at him. He must have been expecting an angry outburst. Instead, Ghirahim just stared at him blankly, then sighed. 

“Alright. Let’s go back and you can sleep. We’ll leave in the morning.” 

And that was exactly what they did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dunno when the next chapter will be here, but I do know the Mogmas are gonna make an appearance. Yus my little mole buddies lol


End file.
